Untrustworthy
by The-Girl-With-The-Arrows
Summary: After Daryl does not return from Woodbury, Carol starts to worry, but when he does somehow make it back with his brother Merle, no one knows what to do. When Merle starts causing trouble, no one knows how to deal with a Dixon; Carol starts to worry that Daryl is the one in the most danger.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note: This is my first Walking Dead/Carly fan fiction. I hope you all enjoy it. I will warn you, some details might be a bit off, please inform me if I change anything drastically. Also, I hope I do the characters in this wonderful shot justice, I hope I get there personalities pretty damn close; not everyone is perfect. I am aware there might be a few grammar mistakes; stay with me, no one is perfect. I love this couple and hope this story is successful. Don't be afraid to review, but no flames please. **

Chapter One: Where Are You?

Carol held Judith close to her chest, she knew it comforted the baby and it helped with the nerves she was holding. It felt like a century had passed since the group left for Woodbury, and Carol was starting to worry. They went there to save Glenn and Maggie, which means, their destination was not a friendly place. Carol prayed everyone would return safe and sound; she also through in an extra prayer for Daryl, she needed him the most.

It had been nearly a year since Carol had last prayed, she stopped the moment her little girl stumbled from the barn, dead, and lost; turned into the very thing Carol had vowed to protect her from. The pain still hit her, almost every day, but Carol had come to terms with the fact that wound would never fully heal. She prayed now, it was the only thing she could do to keep herself from ripping her hair out from worry. Maybe God left them to die when the walkers came alive, but, she had to do something.

Judith hiccupped and reached her arms up at Carol; the sight of this warmed her heart, this little baby was the only bright light in a world so cold. Carol was not going to make the same mistake with Judith she made with her Sophia; if she was going to do one good thing in her life, it was protecting this baby. Everyone seemed determined to allow this child to have a chance at life. Especially Daryl, Carol saw the way he looked at the little bundle of joy, he loved her.

Carol smiled down at the baby girl; she knew she was going to look a lot like Lori. This was, in Carol's opinion, a good thing, since no one could be sure who the father was, it was best the girl looked like Lori. Carol liked to believe Judith belonged to Rick; if, somehow in the future, they found out, by the way Judith looked, she was in fact Shane's, it would break Rick's heart. But, something in Carol's heart told her this baby was Rick and Lori's just like Carl was.

Commotion at the front of the cellblock brought Carol's attention from Judith and she peaked her head out of her cell, Axel was rambling on to Beth, his body language made Carol uncomfortable and she was a good few feet away. Carl was by Beth's side, his chest puffed out, and his hand ready to pull out the hand gun he was entrusted with. Carol slowly exited the cell and approached them all. Beth's face was as white as a ghost, while Carl reminded Carol so much of his father with the same determination to protect on his face.

"Is there is problem here?" Carol stepped between the two kids and Axel; his face suddenly light with nervousness as he looked her up and down and stared at Judith in her arms.

"No –No," Axel stepped back, putting his hands up in surrender, "just friendly conversation."

"Stay away from her!" Carl hissed as he took a step forward standing beside Carol. Axel nodded his head before turning away and returning to the cell he was assigned to.

"Are you okay Beth?" Carol turned to her once she saw Axel disappear into the cell.

"He's harmless" She whispered shrugging her shoulder, but Carol didn't buy it. Axel was in prison for a reason, he was certainly not harmless.

"Don't worry, I will keep him away from you," Carl aimed a glare at Axel's cell before staring straight at Carol, "You too Carol."

For some reason, this made Carol chuckle, she smiled at Carl, and a prick of sadness entered her heart, he had grown so much in the time she had known him. From the kid who barley left his mother's side and was mourning his father's death, to the strong, taking charge young man in front of her. "Thank you Carl."

After a moment of silence, Carol sighed, her gaze fixated on the window, how she wished they would return soon. "Beth, do you mind taking Judith?" Beth smiled lightly and gently lifted the baby from Carol's arm. Relieved, Carol stretched her arms releasing her tense muscles. She needed to get out of the stuffy prison, the gray walls and stench of death. "Carl, I need to get some fresh air, maybe keep an eye out, they should be returning soon."

Carol saw it on his face, the hesitation, it was clear he did not want to screw up; he wanted to impress his father. Carol sure as hell did not want to be the reason for getting him in to trouble, but with her nerves on super-drive and the air getting to her, there was nothing she could do but get out. Finally, the keys jingled out of his pocket and he unlocked the doors, no words were spoken, but Carol knew she should not take a long time, and she didn't plan in it.

Once she was out into the open air, she felt her mind working more clearly. This was not a safe trip they were on, that much was clear, they all knew, thanks to Michonne, it was not as simple as getting in and out. Their group had survived a lot, this time, they were focused on rescuing two of their members that had been taking hostage, Carol knew that nothing would stop them from that.

So, why was she worrying so much?

_Stay Safe. _The words echoed in her mind, the last words Daryl spoke to her before he left; Carol hated reading into thing, but after Daryl was the one to find her trapped in a different cell, she could not help but feel the connection between them was stronger than ever; different.

Surprisingly, Daryl was the one person in the group she could relate with the most. Both of them held scars from their past; both mentally and physically, and scars they were not proud of. He was the one that was the most determined to find Sophia; although Carol has long since forgiven Rick, she wished it was Daryl who had been the one that went after her. Then, maybe, Carol would still have her little girl.

In a world like this, there was no time to dwell on the past; they had lost a lot of people, Sophia, Dale, T-dog, Lori, all of them great losses that Carol wished she could find a way to rewind and change.

Shaking her head, Carol turned her gaze to the area she assumed they would be returning from. She half expected Daryl to be the first one she would see; making sure the coast was clear.

"Where are you?" Carol whispered in to the air.

Another twenty or so minutes passed before Carol decided she better get back inside; she was about to go to her cell, but stopped once her eyes wondered up. Daryl's perch. A small smile formed on her lips as she carefully climbed up to the area Daryl had claimed as his. It was nothing much, he had taken a few pillows from the empty cells and blankets and spread them out to make some-what of a bed. Not thinking twice about it, Carol crawled under the covers, hoping, that when she woke, Daryl, and the rest of the group would be back, safe and sound.

The sweet scent of Daryl surrounded her, slowly rocking her to a dreamless sleep, and, welcoming her to a deep sleep she had not experienced in years.

"Carol, Carol wake up!" The sound of Carl's voice startled Carol, she opened her eyes, for a moment in a daze but the moment passed and she bolted upright. For a second she was confused why she was not in her cell; but, once the memory came back to her, a small smile spread across her face again.

"Are they back?" She asked eagerly for a moment, hoping the next word that came out of Carl's mouth was yes.

Sadly, he just shook his head, but offered her a chipped plate with whatever Beth or Hershel had cooked up, "Dinner," Carl offered her a sad smile, he as growing tired. Although it was clear Carl loved being the protector, he was still young, it was too much weight for his shoulders. Carol returned the smile, but knew neither of them were genuine, Carol was worrying about Daryl while Carl was worrying about Rick. He just lost his mother; Carol would not be able to handle seeing him loose his father as well.

"Thank you Carl" She sat up, leaning against the cold concrete wall, and setting the plate on her lap. "Your father is going to be proud."

This pleased Carl, he smiled brighter than before and nodded before retreating back to where he had been before. Carol picked at her food, only eating a few bites. The day was ending; it had been three nights since they left; where were they?

It was moments like this Carol would do anything for a radio or a cell phone, some way to contact them just to make sure everything was alright. That luxury was taken from them a long time ago. Now, she was forced to wait an agenizing silence with only her thought to fill in the wholes of what might be happening.

That was the worst part. She was never going to be able to think of a reason that ended the way she wanted. In her mind, in this world, everything ended in blood and death until the event was revealed in front of her in reality.

Now, as she set her plate aside and focused on her hands, her mind was flooded with horrible scenarios of what might be happening. They ranged from the group coming back with a lost member, or all of them killed, or worse – turned. It was not easy to not think like this, in the end, everything will end bloody.

Knowing she was not going to be able to sleep again for a while, Carol descended down to the lower level to join the others. Hershel leaned against the wall, his crutched tucked tightly under his arm, the plate that was in his hand looked as untouched as hers, biting her lip, Carol moved to stand next to him. They were lucky to have him, after that rocky start with him on his farm; they were lucky he didn't do anything drastic to them. He had his daughters after all.

"Don't worry," Carol whispered, keeping her voice low from the others, Carl and Beth were across the room from them feeding Judith, for once their faces didn't look stricken with worry. "they're going to bring them back."

"I believe that, Rick is a good man, he's gotten us this far. I'm just worried, my daughters are all I have left," His eyes were glued to Beth as she cradled the baby, a light smile across her face. "Maggie's a strong girl, stronger than I would like to admit. And Glenn, I know she is safest with him."

Carol chuckled; those two had been inseparable since whenever the spark between them was lit. Seeing them together, fighting side by side for each other was something special. "They're both pretty tough; you have to be nowadays."

"HEY!" A Voice echoed around them from the outside, making everyone inside the prison freeze. "Carl!" Suddenly, everyone but Hershel was sprinting to the door, Carl had it opened in a second and they were outside. Behind the fence, was Rick looking like hell, Michonne was cutting up the few walkers behind and Glenn was a few inches away from Rick, looking worse than him and holding Maggie.

It took a moment, but the gate was open and everyone was rushing in to close it quickly behind them. Carol's eyes wondered over everyone, seeing no one was extremely hurt, just exhausted. Glenn was most likely in the worst condition of them all. Her hear rate started to increase as the one person she needed to see was not in her line of sight. The moment Rick closed the gate, Carol knew something was wrong. Just looking at them, there was no way Rick would have let Daryl take his time making sure they were not getting followed.

Although she wanted to rush into demanding an explanation for Daryl, Carol waited till everyone was treated and eating. Glenn was going to have a few battle scars, and was going to need to rest for a day or two, and Rick needed a bit fixing up along with Maggie, but other than that, everyone that had returned seemed to be okay. No one was bitten, everyone was going to live.

It was when Rick was scooping out his second helping of food that Carol slowly glided over to him. No one seemed to be noticing Daryl's absents, and this just angered her.

"Rick," Muttered, running a hand through her short cropped hair, "can I talk to you for a moment?'

Rick nodded and the two of the wondered into the nearest cell, but before Carol would speak any more, Rick sighed, clearly away of what Carol wanted to talk about. "Carol, -"

"Just – where is he, what happened to him?"

Rick ran a hand over his face shaking his head and not meeting her eyes as he whispered, "I don't know what happened to him Carol. I honestly don't know it he's dead or alive."


	2. Chapter Two

**Untrustworthy **

**Chapter Two**

Carol could not believe her ears, the words came out of Rick's mouth, she had seen his mouth move to them, but she could not believe what he was saying. At first she wanted to scream out, demand to know why he didn't know where the hell Daryl was, but that passed. Being pissed off at Rick was not going to solve anything, and Carol knew if Rick had time to go and find Daryl, he would have. Yet, she could not help but let out a sound of frustration and anger. She refused to believe he was dead; Daryl Dixon was not someone to go down without a fight.

After her little outburst, Carol wanted to say nothing more, afraid she might say something she would regret later on. Rick watched her, he wanted to say something, but didn't know what. He was beating himself up for not finding Daryl; he was basically his second in command. It was going to be different without him, all he could do was hope, in the end, Daryl returned.

"I'm – I'm Sorry Carol" Rick extended his arm out to lay it on her shoulder, but just before he made contact, Carol moved away, more of a reflex than anything. Rick nodded his head instead and walked out, knowing he was not going to be able to change things. Carol stayed where she stood, her mind numb, unable to think anymore. Just a few hours ago it was running thinking of horrible scenarios that could have happened, not knowing Daryl's fate was not one of them.

This was completely unexpected, Carol was glad her mind was numb so she did not have to think of what might be happening to Daryl. If Glenn was an indication for what Woodbury was capable of, reality was worse than any scenario she came up with in her mind. Without another word to anyone, Carol went into the cell that belonged to her and decided against sleeping up on the perch. It would only make this night more unbearable. She settled with the flat mattress and limp pillow.

The night was restless just like Carol had predicted, her mind stopped being numb and stared working overdrive.

When she finely fell sleep, it was shortly lived and the worst night of sleep she had gotten since everything happened, and that was saying something. When morning light came, everyone decided it was best to take it slow, no more running into suicide runs. Carol kept her mouth shut, something she normally found easy to do but was struggling with today. Since Daryl was not here to speak for himself, Carol would be his voice. As everyone spoke of what not to do, Carol wanted to speak out about Daryl's absents that he was still a part of the group and he needed them.

Although she hated admitting it, demanding to go back and save Daryl was not a good idea, not after the hell the group went through. Carol could not ask them to go back, and she knew, Daryl would not like it either. So, Carol stood there as the rest of the group talked about what to do next, how to handle everything. A few times she would open her mouth to comment on something, but she never said anything, it was useless.

After they decided to take the next few days easy to allow Glenn and Maggie to recover, Carol retreated to where Judith was. The baby was the only person Carol thought she could stand to be around. Rick had told the group about what had happened to Daryl, no one seemed to react the way Carol would have liked. She didn't know what she wanted, but blank stares and awkward silence was not it.

"Carol" A voice startled her from behind her just as she was about to pick up the baby. She turned to meet the very sorry eyes of Glenn. His face was freshly bruised, and he walked with a bit of a limp. It was amazing how much this kid had been though. "I'm really sorry about Daryl."

A bit of anger rose inside Carol but she held it in. Why was he talking about Daryl like he was already dead? She just offered Glenn a shy smile and looked down at her feet. She didn't feel like talking, and especially about Daryl. Since today was hopefully going to be a much-needed rest day, Carol wanted to do just that. Relax, watch over Judith and be by herself. Glenn slowly made his way next to her and stared at Judith with a small smile on his face.

"I'm alright" Carol sighed after a few passing minutes, she reached out and touched Glenn's arm. When he met her eyes, Caro smiled more convincingly. "I'm just glad you and Maggie made it back safe." Once again, her eyes trailed the boy, taking in his bruised and injured body and face. She hesitated, unsure if he wanted to talk about it, "What did they do too you?"

Glenn glanced away, his eyes falling back on the baby, his mind in deep thought. He seemed to be replaying whatever hell they had put him thought before answering. The gleam in his eyes that still lingered due to a small bit of innocents, that part of him that wanted to held onto was now gone forever. "Merle" He muttered, "Daryl's brother, they wanted to know where we were hiding out. I don't know how long he beat me, but I was not going to give you guys up to a jackass like him. When I would not give up, he set a walker on me, hoping that was what kills me."

Carol gasped, her hand flew over her mouth just thinking about the fear that must have ran through him. Without a weapon, and no doubt bound to a chair, Carol admitted Glenn more than ever now with what he had been through.

"But that is not what really upset me." His voice was full of anger as he continued; he turned his head so his face was hidden from him. "It was Maggie"

He didn't say more, and Carol did not push for any more, the anger in his voice was enough for her to know it was best to give him some space. "I'm sorry Glenn; you didn't have to tell me."

"No, I'm glad I did." Glenn took a deep breath and ran a hand though his hair, trying to calm himself. "For the record, I think Daryl will find his way back."

* * *

The day had passed with a blur for Carol, after talking with Glenn, she zoned out, feeling horrible, and selfish. It was wrong for her to be pissed off over Daryl not returning with the group, as much as it angered her, it was no one's fault, Rick did the right thing. Glenn was badly beaten and it was not worth them all being captured. She now sat on her bed, picking at her food, forcing herself to take bites and eat something. She was not going to give up; that is what Daryl would want.

_Stop it! _She barked at herself, _He's not dead!_

Carol saw the way some of the members of the group stared at her; they seemed to think she was in denial. If they were so easy to give up hope that was their problem. She still had some hope left inside her, and all of it was for Daryl. Rick didn't look as though he was handling Daryl's absents as well as he would like to show. With Daryl gone, it felt less safe, like there was a hole in their wall. Carol admired their friendship, with a rough start the two of them learned to work together and formed a type of friendship that, in Carol's opinion, was much stronger than what Rick had with Shane.

The whole group now seemed to realize the effect of Daryl's absents, but all the pity stares aimed at Carol really needed to stop.

Carol set her plate aside as she saw Rick walking into the frame of the cell door, the baby in his arms and a smile across his face. Hesitantly, she walked over to him. "I don't blame you" Rick's head slowly rose from leaning down over the baby and his sad eye met hers in surprise. "You made the right call."

"If I had time, I would have searched for Daryl till I found him,"

"I know Rick,"

"He's a fighter; Daryl will find his way out of this." The way Rick spoke the words said otherwise, but Carol nodded her head, taking the words meant to help cheer her up. "Thank you for watching over Judith while I was away, I am starting to think we can make it through this, watch her grow up and all."

Carol smiled, nodding her head, "She's made it this far, I think she's a fighter." Although it had only been a little while since Judith was born, it was still remarkable she had made it as far as she has.

"Just like her mother" Rick commented, turning back to smile at his little girl.

"Dad!" Suddenly, Carl scurries down from the perch, his legs moving faster than the rest of his body, to the point he nearly topples to the floor. He collected himself and rushed over to his father, "Walkers, they got through the fence again, the wire covering the hole is gone."

"Shit" Rick gently handed Judith over to Carol, and collected his weapons nodding at Carol and Maggie to come help. Glenn was about to follow her, but she stopped him, whispering into his ear before kissing his lips. He didn't seem pleased but did retreat back to his cell. Carol was not going to just wait in the prison, they were short people, and, thanks to Daryl, Carol had become an okay-shot. She quickly told Beth to watch Judith and that she would be helping Rick. She had to run to make sure she did not get locked in, Rick was far ahead of everyone else, and Carl let her by.

Her hand grabbed the handgun she had tucked behind her and made sure the knife was in her pocket. As much as she liked the gun, she decided the knife was a better choice at the moment, saving bullets was wise. Carol followed Carl out, Rick was already by the hole in the gate, popping off the walkers stretching out, hoping to chomp into his flesh. Carl sped up speed, determined to help his father, and Maggie was almost effortlessly stabbing the walker in the head.

Carol joined her; she no longer wanted to be considered useless. Her eyes wondered over to the small gravesite were two crosses stood. The third, her cross, had been removed due to the fact she was alive, but that would forever remind her that she could have died if not for T-dog. Seeing him die the most gruesome dead, Carol promised herself she would start fighting back harder and not cower in the corner or let someone else jump in front of her.

The walkers were quick to realize she was alive; Carol gripped her knife firmly and lunged forward, stabbing the women walking in the face. It fell to the ground without another groan. But with one down, two took its place. Carol would be lying if she said she was not frightened. Unlike the others, this was not something Carol did every day, or like the others, something she is regretting now. _You can do this. _She thought, taking a deep breath and swinging her arms around. The head rolled to the floor, but its mouth kept moving.

She had no time to finish it off before another was in front of her, this one was short, another girl, when she died she could not been older than fifteen. Carol had no time to pity what had happened, there was no time for that – and it was a waste of time. This was the world now.

The walker moved as though it wanted to dance, Carol circled it, and it moved with her. Adjusting her grip on her knife, Carol took a risk and sprinted forward, gripping the walkers shoulder and slamming the knife into the rotting face, piercing the brain and killing it instantly.

Not a lot of walkers had gotten in, Carol and Maggie had stopped the few that had broken through the perimeter, the two met up, Maggie whipped her brow, smearing walker guts on her face, but she did not seem to notice. "Quick acting, thanks"

"Don't mention it," Carol muttered looking down. She then noticed the head of the walker she had decapitated. Slowly she approached it, kneeled down, and in one swift movement, jammed the knife into its skull. She made a face of disgust as it stood still, mouth open. Maggie and her quickly made their way to the gapping whole Rick was trying to find the wire for, while Carl guarded his dad.

"Where the hell did it go." Rick muttered, searching the ground and peering into the grass. "Maggie! There should be some extra wire in my bag that's sitting on me bed." Without hesitation, Maggie nodded and bolted in the other direction.

Two more walkers immerged out of the forest, moving slower than most walkers did when after food. Rick shot off a round, killing the walker that was a few feet in front of the two new ones. "Don't shoot damn it'!" Everyone stopped, Rick lowered his gun, Carl silenced his weapon, and Carol stared at the two figures in disbelief. Seeing them get closer, they were not walkers, far from it. One man was caring the other as both of them limped toward the prison.

"Daryl," Carol breathed, wanting to run out into the zombie-infested field just to throw her arms around him and never let go. There was no mistaking who it was. From his voice being the same, rough, grumble, and the crossbow that was slung over his back. Carol had not seen it before because the way it was swinging, it appeared to be broken. A moment passed and both Carl and Rick had their guns aimed and were taking down the walkers in Daryl and whoever was with him way.

Carol did not hesitate to remove her gun and start shooting. He was so close; she was not losing him to no damn walker. Carl was taking down the walkers on the right while Rick dealt with the ones on the left. Out of nowhere, there was a walker right in front of Daryl, he was close enough now for Carol to see that there was a bit of worry on Daryl's face as he had no weapon that was useable and the walker got close. Taking a deep breath, Carol fired, nailing the walker right in the back of the head. This was the first time, it seemed to Daryl looked at her. They both held an identical smile on their faces as the zombie dropped.

It took a few seconds, but soon Rick was helping Daryl and… MERLE!

Carol stared at the elder Dixon brother in disbelief.

Both of them were bruised up pretty badly like they had been in a bad fight or a mugging. Carol stepped away from them, a bit of fear forming in the pit of her stomach. This was not what she expected. The few memories she had of Merle from before he disappeared, were not welcoming. He had a temper, and was not afraid to show it.

"Sorry bout that," Daryl said, holding up the wire that was once around the fence. "Merle fell back there, when I was unchaining the fence. Had to save his ass, and just bolted."

The way Rick was staring at Merle, it was clear he was not at all happy about his appearance. "Daryl" Everyone looked up at Rick, knowing that tone of voice. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"What's wrong _Officer Friendly_? Ya don't like seein' my pretty face again?" He then helped up his robotic arm with the knife imbedded into it. Carol took another step back, this time, drawing Daryl's eyes to her. "S'anks for this," Merle hissed, slowly lowering it until the knife was pointed at Rick.

"Whoa now Merle," Daryl pressed down on Merle's knife-hand and nodded at Rick, walking a few feet away, and handing Carl the wire. Quickly, the kid was re-applying the wire.

"Don't move" Carol told Merle, hoping her voice sounded as strong as she intended too. He grumbled as Carol walked away, joining Rick and Daryl.

"I don't like this," Rick leaned in, his voice a rough whisper. Although the details were vague, Carol knew the relationship between Rick and Merle was anything but friendly due to the fact Rick had handcuffed Merle to a roof and left him there. Of course Rick had gone back, trying to right the wrong he had created, but Merle was not someone who would care about that.

"He's my brother, I ain't leavin' him!"

"He's a danger to the group Daryl," Rick sighed, sneaking a peak at Merle.

"Rick is right," Carol chimed in, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. Daryl's eyes met hers again, held them there for a long moment. His expression was unreadable making Carol even more nervous.

"You don't think I don't know that? I ain't stupid. But I'm not leavin' him."

"Fine, but he has to be locked away until I am sure he is safe. I'm not gunna jeopardize the safety of the group. Do you understand?" For a moment, Carol thought Daryl would scowl in disagreement. But, to her, and Rick's surprise, Daryl slowly nodded his head, his facial expression full of understanding. At least he understood that his brother was a threat.

"So, what's the verdict? Ya gunna let me stay or become biter bate?" Merle howled to them, a large smile on his face. Rick's face hardened as he got out his handcuffs.

"You really think that is a good idea? Carol asked him, stopping him before he took a step. Daryl's eyes trailed her as she spoke, "It will only make it worse."

Nodding his head, Rick put the cuffs away, Daryl was the first to walk over to his brother, not saying anything but leading the way to the prison. Carl, who had been watching Merle intensely followed behind Carol and his father, his gun never leaning his fingers. Nervousness set in on Carol as she thought about what this all meant .With Merle at the prison, things were going to change drastically. Although, the short time Merle was with the group, Carol had avoided him; she still had glimpses of who he really was. His anger was enough of a red flag, but add in the fact he went out of his was to be an ass, the fact that he was a racist, sexist, asshole didn't help either.

It was frightening, Carol had seen such a change in Daryl, she didn't want Merle to revers everything. Although, even before Merle went missing, Daryl was the better brother, no one wanted to get in the way of either of the Dixon brothers when they were pissed off. Now with Merle back, she fears things would return to that.

_Daryl is not like that, _Carol reminded herself, he was a better person then Merle despite their same background.

Yet, she could not help but worry.

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope to make it a regular thing and update at least once a week on Wednesdays!**

**Hope you enjoyed this episode!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Carol followed behind the group her nerves running high the closer they got to the prison. She was worried about how everyone was going to react; Glenn and Maggie were not going to take it well. It was doubtful Merle said anything to his brother about the events that took place with the two members.

Chaos erupted the moment the group returned to their cellblock. At first everyone cheered at the sight of Daryl limping in; but all the cheers and smiles turned to scowls. Although, not everyone in the group was acquainted with Merle, stories had been told, and everyone knew the events that went down on the rooftop that day in Atlanta. Now, Rick stepped in front, ready to explain the situation, but, before he had a moment to open his mouth, Glenn shouted out.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?" He rushed forward, only to be stopped by Maggie and Rick. She looked just as pissed off as Glenn, but she had some scene as to not cause any more problems.

"Now listen to me!" Rick yelled out, demanding everyone's attention, "I know this is going to cause some … inconvenience, but this is no time to cause problems."

"Do you even know what he did?" Glenn's question was directed at Daryl. For a moment, the younger Dixon brother avoided the eyes of everyone, looking at the ground; but then, he daringly brought his eyes to Glenn's. It was a challenging stare, frightening. Glenn seemed to hesitate before continuing. "He tortured me and then set a walker on me while I was still taped to a damn chair!"

Everyone waited for Daryl's reaction, hoping for something; the Daryl they all knew would do anything to protect the group. Finally, Daryl met Merle's eyes, "This true?"

"Ahh come one man. I had to do what I had to do. Ya saw what the damn Governor was capable of. I didn't wanna get caught in the middle of his shit. But I did anyway."

"That's your excuse?" Glenn tried to rush forward, but Rick held him back, forcing Glenn to meet his eyes before shaking his head. "Screw this," Glenn muttered angrily before turning away and storming off.

"I hope you know, neither of us are okay with this!" Maggie followed Glenn's footsteps, storming out with the same level of rage.

Carol watched, not sure what to say, this was not what any of them expected, Carol had assumed him dead. And after what Glenn had told, her, she was not going to be able to trust Merle. He was arrogant, selfish, and, if it came between him and someone else, Carol was sure he would always act for himself first. How could Daryl and Merle come from the same place and be so different?

Soon, Merle, with some difficulty, was locked into one of the empty cells. He made many 'officer friendly' comments, which Rick gladly ignored. But once the door was locked, Merle shut up for the most part. There were orders from Rick to stay clear of Merle, try not to cause any problems between the older Dixon brother. Carol felt this was aimed mostly toward Glenn and Maggie who were sulking in their cell. After that Rick retreated to be with his family, both his boy and baby girl. This always brought a smile to Carol's face. Rick deserved this; out of everyone, Rick deserved to be happy, at least for a little while.

Carol was in her cell, staring up at the cement ceiling on the top bunk. Now that Merle was back with Daryl, she didn't know what to think. Of course this was going to change things, but it was also going to cause her to retreat. Over the past year or so, Daryl and she had gotten closer, much closer than she ever thought. It was a warming feeling to not be afraid of a hand striking her down. Even after Carol had hammered down Ed's dead body, she was still frightened.

Afraid she would once again be forced to face the pain of a man's hand. No one in particular crossed her mind on who would be inflicting this pain, but she was still afraid. But learning to shoot, handle a gun properly, saved her. She no longer felt like she had to wait to be saved. Of course she was not as good of a shot as the others; just being able to handle a gun comforted her.

Daryl had been the most helpful, teaching her how to use the different types of guns. That had been one of the key facts in building their bond. Past the horrible death of her daughter Sophia, shooting gave them time. Talking came easy between the two of them. Maybe it was their similar background, both holding scars, an abusive background, and hidden fear.

With Merle back, Carol was afraid Daryl would turn his back to her and be with his brother.

But he was not the same man he was a year ago; he had changed so much.

"Carol," The voice lingered at the doorway, Carol sat up and met the stare of Daryl Dixon. Unknowingly, she gulped. Nodded her head, and climbed down the ladder. For a moment, the two stared at each other, taking in each other. Daryl was still covered in his own dried blood, cuts and scrapes covered his face. By the way he moved he also had some wounds underneath.

"You should get cleaned up." Carol finally said, breaking the silence. A weak smile covered her face, the only thing she was able to do; it stopped her from jumping into his arms in a hug. The thing she really wanted to do.

"Nah, I'm fine. I wanted ta talk with you, if that's alright."

"Of course" Carol moved until she was sitting on the bed, leaving enough room for Daryl. He winced as he sat down. Carol knew better than to say anything. He seemed to be in a good mood, which was surprising considering the way he appeared.

"Don't be lookin' at me like that." Daryl finally muttered, his eyes narrowing.

"Like what?"

"Tellin' me I look like hell without speakin'.

"Well if I don't keep reminding you, you might forget to get your ass over to Hershel and get fixed up." Carol responded with a chuckle, watching Daryl's face brighten up a little as he chuckles himself.

"I got my ass beat pretty bad. Fuckin' bastard they call the Governor." Shaking his head, he clenched his hands into fists, "He's comin' here. Wants some big show-down with Rick because my idiot big brother can't keep his damn mouth shut!"

"Is he the one who did this to you?" Carol asked, becoming tenser with worry.

Daryl was silent for a moment, his eyes focused on the wall in front of them. He clearly did not want to tell her something. This only added fuel to the fire of worry she was burning. "Daryl." Carol reached out a comforting hand, forgetting who she was talking with. Her hand reached over to touch one of his clenched fists, but, right before any contact was made, she pulled back. Daryl had seen the notion, even glanced her way, but Carol was unable to read his expression.

"I guess you could say that," He finally muttered, not meeting her eyes, just staring down at his now unclenched hands.

There was much more to this story than Daryl was willing to tell. Michonne had said something about the Governor to Rick; he sounded like a horrible man. Allowing Merle to hurt Glenn and Maggie the way he did along with, whatever had happened to Daryl. Gulping again, Carol took a deep breath, people were worse than mindless walkers. They could think, out-smart the group, and kill with guns. Whatever storm was coming; by the look in both Glenn and Daryl's face, it was a big one, the group better be ready.

"He's coming here?" She asked, although she knew the answer.

"Yeah. An' he ain't no guy you can reason with. He want's what he wants and I have no doubt he'll kill all of us to get it. Plus, he already wants Merle and me dead."

"What are you sayin'?" Carol studied his face; he was intentionally looking anywhere but at her.

"I'm sayin' when he comes to here; we don't stand a fuckin' chance." Now his eyes met hers, a cold stare in them, much different from when he first walked into her cell. He saw her hesitation in speaking and continued himself, "Ya don't understand Carol. This guy, he's loaded. Men, guns, ammo, we ain't gunna be able to match that. But, that don't mean we won't try."

"Have you told Rick any of this? If this guy is as bad as you say, we have to be as ready as possible."

"Rick knows, that black women told him all about this shit. She knows more than I do 'cause she was on the inside." He paused, shaking his head and changing the subject. Too much talk of war. "Andrea was there."

Carol's eyes widened. A huge rush of relive washed over her. All this time she had assumed Andrea was dead because of what happened at Hershel's barn. Carol felt to blame for it, she was helpless, scared. If not for Andrea, Carol would most likely be dead.

"She even tried helpin' me. Don't know how she got there, but least she is alive." Daryl continued.

He finished speaking, and the two sat in silence, but it was comforting. Carol felt safe as she could be during a zombie apocalypse now that Daryl was back. The tension between her shoulders had relaxed, and her heart rate had returned to normal. It was a few minutes of this before Carol turned to him, their eyes met; neither of them looked away.

"What did they really do to you?" Carol asked in a hushed tone. Taking Daryl's roughed-up condition was difficult. Carol feared there was much more damage done that Daryl was allowing everyone to see. He had not been this beat up since the night he found Sophia's doll. The memory stung; out of reflex, Carol rubbed her temples, slowly pushing it from her mind.

"Listen to me Carol, you don't wanna know. It's over an' done with." He stood up, grunting as he did. "Now, I'll go get myself 'fixed up' so you'll stop starin' at me like that." He moved to walk out the door, and once again, Carol stretched out her hand to touch him, but she caught herself again. This time Daryl didn't see.

She resorted to calling out his name to stop him. "Daryl." He turned his head just as she was standing up. "I'm glad you're safe." It took a bit of courage for the words to be pushed from her mouth. Neither of them were good with words, not like this. But, Daryl smiled lightly before nodding and heading out the cell door.

* * *

**Sorry about the late update! Lot happened in one week for me! Here it is! Chapter Three. Sorry it's not as long as the others, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. R&'R**


	4. Chapter Four

**Untrustworthy **

**Chapter Four**

When night fell, Carol found herself unable to sleep, but not for the same reasons she had been having for the past few days, now it was a whole new level of worry. Rick was on edge, he moved around the prison, ready to strike at any moment; this only increased Carol's own nervousness. Besides Rick clearly being worried about the fact Merle was now inside the prison, he didn't seem like himself. He was more skittish, unnerved.

Even now she heard him, awake, pacing back and forth. As of late, Carol had come to identify that, Rick only paced when something was really picking at him.

Figuring she was not going to get much sleep again, Carol slid out from under the covers and exited the cell. Rick was by the door, just about to turn around, but stopped. As she slowly walked up to him, he seemed frozen in spot, like, whatever was outside the cellblock was frightening. Gently reaching a hand out, Carol touched his shoulder, "Rick?"

At her touch, Rick jerked, turning to face her, the look of fear covered his face. For a moment he didn't seem to know who he was staring at. The look he gave Carol confirmed what she had wanted to deny for a while. Rick was starting to crack.

"Why are you up Caroll?" Rick asked after a moment, looking down at his feet. She could not blame him, he had lead them so far, getting them all safely off the farm, keeping them alive through the winter, and even now with all the shit that was going on. All the pressure seemed to be on him.

"Are you alright?" Carol wants to reach out to him once again, but knows he would only recoil like he had before. "You should really get some sleep." She continued when he ignored her question. "I can keep watch,"

"I can't do that." Rick gripped onto the bar of the door and stood there, staring at his feet.

"You need too; I don't think I've seen you sleep in days. After all the crap you've gone through. Rick – you need your rest."

He was already shaking his head before she finished speaking. He didn't want to be babied, but, how could he be there for the group if he was over-working himself. "I – I just can't do that right now."

Maybe it was her mothering nature, or the fact Rick had lost so much, more than any of them and was still somehow standing. Carol slowly took the gun from Rick's hand, careful not to make any contact with his skin, "Go," She said gently. Rick, for a second, stood like he was going to protest, but he nodded his head and quietly returned to his cell with his son. That might not get him to sleep, but at least Rick was off his feet for a little while.

Carol had only kept watch a handful of times during the winter, for some reason – the men always viewed it as their job, to watch over everyone else. In the prison, it was less – frightening. There were thick walls between the walkers and them, the only real threat was the walkers somehow making it into the prison from the outside or, the ones on the inside making it into the cellblock they occupied. Plus, she was very handy with a gun; she had full confidence in herself she could defend the group if it came down to it.

It was a quiet night, after the eventful day or Daryl's return and the news of this man called the Governor, everyone was pretty worn out. It was a welcoming sound to hear the sounds of sleep; the light snore that echoed from Hershel's cell, the rustle of the sheets, Maggie and Glenn unknowingly fighting over the covers to keep themselves from the cold chill that lingered in the air, and Judith making cute baby noises as she dreamed of a world she'll never know.

This was as close to peace as any of them were going to get and Carol was strangely okay with that. She had come to terms with the world they live in a little bit after her daughter stumbled from Hershel's barn. She was a fool to ever think there was hope the world would ever be as it once was.

All they could do was fight tooth and nail to survive, get through all of this, and live as long as they could. None of them were really fighting for their lives anymore; at least not as much as they were fighting for Judith to survive, making it to the point she could wield a gun and fight off walkers alongside with them.

"Psst!" Carol's head shot up along with her gun at the voice. It took her a second to realize it was Merle staring at her from his cell at the end of the block. Cautiously, Carol made her way over to him, her gun ready to fire. "Yer send Officer Friendly to bed did ya?"

"Did you need something?" There was no attempt to hide her dislike in her voice.

"Yeah, I need you ta get me the hell out of here so I can grab my brother and leave. I don't wanna be here, and it's damn clear that your buddy Rick don't want me hear either. It be a win-win if we just get up an' leave."

"Why don't you just leave? You don't need Daryl." The words flew out of Carol's mouth with such anger, she surprised herself. He had just come back, he was safe and sound, and she was not going to let him leave. Besides, with Merle, Daryl would be dead within a month. There was nothing comforting about the oldest Dixon brother.

"He's my brother, I ain't goin' anywhere without him. 'Sides, who do ya think he'd pick. You, a woman he's hardly known for a year, or his own flesh-and-blood-brother?" The laugh that echoed from Merle sent chills down her back. When she didn't respond, Merle felt like it was a good idea to continue. "Yer know I'm right." This time he just snorted a laugh. "I'm gunna talk with my brother in the morning; don't be surprised if we're gone in a day or two."

He was not a funny man, but he found himself to be a riot; Carol thought about raising her gun and shooting him in the head, but that would lead them nowhere and she would be the one getting most of the shit. Her second reaction was to tell him to fuck off, and, from a women who didn't swear all that much, it was a bold move on her part. Yet, trying to be the better person, Carol held her head high, stared Merle straight in the eyes that were a dark, threatening green and said, "We will see."

Carol was replaced with Glenn a few hours before dawn; to her surprise and wonder, the moment she was comfortable, she dozed off to sleep. It was not the best sleep she had ever had, but it was hell of a lot better than what she had been getting. When she woke, she felt more refreshed then she had in weeks.

The sun shined brightly in the sky, no doubt radiating a strong heat, but that didn't matter, it was beautiful.

Her short conversation with Merle repeated in her head, and, she found herself making sure Daryl was still there. Sure enough, he was standing beside an exhausted looking Rick. His mouth moved to words she could not hear, but his eyes wondered over to her for a fraction of a second; the movement was so quick, Carol was unsure if it really happened. It took a bit of strength to not walk over to them and pop into whatever they were talking about.

"You don't trust that new fella do you?" Carol jumped to meet Axel standing beside her, it was strange for someone to sneak up on her, and this was not the first him he had somehow appeared out of thin air.

"No – I don't. But he's Daryl's brother." A sigh escaped her parted lips before she continued her eyes on the ground, "Blood is thicker than water after all." The worlds felt like knives as the left her lips. As much as she cared for Daryl, and didn't want to have him leave again; she would never force him to choose between his brother and her – the group. It was not her place, and; maybe all this secret hope she had built up inside her was just her imagination.

"Not by my experiences, my own brother would a sold me for a dollar if he were ta get some money out of it."

Carol returned her gaze to Axel in a bit of confusion, since he had been allowed in the cellblock, Carol had kind of avoided him, not only because he was a convict, but because of the creepy edge he gave off. Even now his stance was a bit too close to comfort for her.

"Carol," Rick's voice was almost unfamiliar to her as he called her over. Instead of the stern, confident tone she had grown to know, it was weak – tired, almost pathetic. "We need to talk to you."

She excused herself from Axel and gladly scurried over too Rick and Daryl. "Somethin' wrong?"

"We need to secure this place, from what Daryl and Michonne have told me, this man is ruthless. I am not going to let him take any more of these people from me." Carol suppressed a smile, this sounded like the old Rick. "I am sure Merle knows much more, an' I am going to try to get him to talk. I need you to get everyone out of the cellblock, make sure they keep busy and get ever whole or weakness in the gate. I don't wanna risk Merle if I need to – talking with him more closely." Daryl and Rick exchanged a look, but Daryl nodded his face hardening as it happened. "Can you do that?"

"Anything to help,"

"Good, I need Glenn and Maggie on the guard towers with ammo, just to be our lookouts. I don't wanna be taken by surprise."

"Wait – I thought I was gonna be on a tower?" Daryl chimed in.

"You're the strongest; some of that stuff out they is not easy to move." Daryl's response was only a nod before both him and Rick were staring at Carol.

"You don't want to tell everyone else what you're doing?"

"Not yet, it's best they don't know." Rick's eyes wondered around the room for the moment, but, no one was paying much attention to them. Even Axel had wondered off somewhere. "Judith will stay in here though." Rick finally added, "I – it's too hot out there."

Carol understood, with everyone working outside, there would be on one paying attention to her. Plus, if they were to get attacked, no one wants the baby to be in the crossfire. The heat excuse was probably Rick's way of not thinking of the worst; it brought knots to Carol's stomach as she thought about it.

About a half an hour later, everyone was outside where they were supposed to be. The bullshit reason they came up with as to why Rick was not with them was because I wanted to spend some time with his baby and try to get some sleep. Most of the group didn't buy it, but they didn't question it either.

Maggie and Glenn were in separate towers, both seeming distant with each other; now more than ever since Merle was back. Michonne helped out a bit, but kept her eyes on the opening. If anything was ever to get in, Michoone was their best bet at getting rid of it before it caused any damage. The rest of them were collecting metal boards, leaning them against the fenced bridge as a place to take shelter and hide if bullets were ever to cut the air, aiming to kill them all.

"Have you talked to your brother?" Carol asked, curious if Merle was going to go through with what he wanted to do.

"Uh… Not really, since Rick locked him up; decided it was best to let him sit in there. He's my brother but Rick and him aren't on good terms an' I don't need my brother screwing that up fer me." Grunting, Daryl picked up a large wooden board and slammed it against the medal sheet Carol has just placed. "'Sides, I ain't leavin' for you to fend for yourselves from this fuckin' guy. I've only seen a bit of what he could do; it ain't pretty."

"Sure my dad is safe in there with him?" Carl walked over to Daryl, Beth right behind him.

It was Carol who answered his question, "There are steel bars between them, your dad will be fine."

Carol hated lying to him; Carol and Daryl both knew, Rick was not just going to talk with Merle through the bars. She worried for him a bit herself. Merle might not have a hand, but he has whatever the hell is attached to his arm that, with the right force, could leave a nice bump on the head. When Carl and Beth had retreated to the other side, Carol motioned for Daryl to come closer. Hesitantly, he did, Carol, unknowingly held her breath; "Think we should check on them soon?"

Pondering this thought for a moment, Daryl nodded.

It was only another fifteen minutes or so before Carol was unable to stand it any longer. With a quick nod to Daryl, the two of them snuck back into the prison and made their way to their cellblock. The moment Carol did not see Rick inside, she fumbled with the keys, struggling with the door. Daryl was the one that got the door open and the two of them rushed in.

"Rick!" Carol called out, trying to keep her voice strong. Maybe he was just in another cell.

"Hey Rick!" Daryl called after a long moment of nothing.

Daryl's response was met by a cold, skin-crawling laugh. Both of them looked up to see Merle, free from his cage, leaning against the railing over Daryl's perch and waving at them.

* * *

**I hope you like this chapter, I really love the relationship between Rick, Carol, and Daryl, it's going to be a big part of this story along with Judith. I have never been a fan of Merle, and no matter what happens in the show, I am not going to change how I am going with this story, just a head up to fans of Merle. **

**I hope you liked his chapter! R&R**


	5. Chapter Five

**Untrustworthy **

**Chapter Five**

The whole world seemed too freeze, both Carol and Daryl stood where they were, stunned at the sight of Merle. As soon as the shock set in, rage replaced it. Before she knew what she was doing, Carol was charging at Merle, words flying out of her mouth without a filter. "What the hell have you done you bastard? Where the fuck is Rick?" Before she made it to the stairs, Daryl stopped her, gently wrapping his arms around her. She didn't notice, she didn't care; her eyes were like daggers on Merle.

Of course, Merle just laughed, acting like he had no idea what she was yelling about. "Rick? I'm sorry, that name don't ring no bells."

This made Carol struggle to break free of Daryl's arms; he tightened the grip, not sure what his brother was capable of. He sure as hell did not want to send Carol up there raging; who knew what Merle would do.

Finally, Carol seemed to notice his hold on her, she stopped struggling; when Daryl was sure she was going to stay beside him, he released her. Carol could feel Daryl watching her, expecting her to do something rash; Carol was a bit calmer, she knew who she was dealing with.

"Where is he?" Merle just shrugged his shoulders, a large grin on his lips.

"Damn it Merle! This ain't funny!" Daryl narrowed his eyes at his brother, for a moment, the two of them just had an intense staring contest. That was until Carol starting moving up the stairs.

As she climbed, she was determined to get whatever happened to Rick out of Merle, this was no goddamn game to her, not when there were so few people in this world and he was threatening taking one of them away from her. That was not something she was going to let pass her by. Maybe a year ago she would have silently worried in the corner, but now she was brave, and she was not prepared to lose anyone else. Merle watched her every move, when she reached the top of the perch, his chuckle made her cringe. He thought this was fucking funny!

"Aww, look at this, have you come here to beg to know where your precious sheriff is?" He crackled a laugh, "Sorry ya burst yer bubble sweet cheeks, but he's as good as dead."

Suddenly, Carol felt someone behind her, Daryl was armed and ready to fire his crossbow, and it was aimed at his brother. Merle's eyes widened at him, a bit a fear flashing on his face, but it was gone in seconds. "Where is Rick?" Daryl demanded.

"You ain't gunna shoot me, if you did, then you'd never find him."

It was a horrible thought that ran though her mind just then, Carol was not a violent person, she fought when she had to, but she never liked fighting. With her marriage to Ed, that dislike only strengthened. But, as Merle spoke, all Carol wanted to do was plunge a knife in his throat, kill him right then and there, get it all over with. It was clear as day he was never going to fit in with the group. He has been with them for a little over a day, and already one of their members is missing – or worse.

She could not think like that, Rick would never go down without a fight; he was not dead.

Whatever Merle has done to Rick can't be good.

There was still that fear, if they forced Merle out of the prison, Daryl would go with him. Carol's eyes met Merle's; she suppressed the thought to end his life – that was not her; taking a deep breathe; she spoke. "If you've done anything to him, I swear I'll – "

"You'll what? Kill me?" At this, Merle threw his head back and laughed, "You better control your women here little bro."

"Shut up Merle!"

Carol hoped no one noticed her body stiffen at the words _your women. _Although, she didn't let is stop her; after a second, she returned to the situation, her eyes narrowed and her fingers itching for the knife tucked behind her back. It was Judith who broke the tense silence between the three of them; for a moment, no one move, just let the baby cry out. The way she was crying, Carol was positive she wanted her father; picking up the crying baby, Carol turned back to Merle.

"Where the hell is he?" Her voice was strong but quiet; she didn't want to startle the baby even more.

Merle just shrugged his shoulders playfully, a wide grin still smeared on his face; but before he could speak, and say another smart-ass remark, Daryl was slamming him against the back wall. "This ain't funny Merle! I wouldn't off brought you back if I knew you were gunna fuck with them. Tell me where Rick is; I ain't afraid to put an arrow in that stupid head of yours!"

Daryl's arm was strongly placed on Merle's throat, pinning him against the wall. Merle struggled, scratching at Daryl's arm, but, Daryl had the upper hand, and his rage added something as well. There was no denying the fear that pegged Merle's face. He tried to hide it but failed. Daryl was no longer the little brother he could order around and take advantage of. Merle saw this; maybe that was what scared him the most. In the time he was away – thought to be dead, Daryl had changed to be a better man.

Carol rocked Judith back and forth, hoping she would calm down, it seemed like years before the little baby stopped crying; but her wails echoed around the prison.

"I – Let me speak!" Merle coughed as Daryl removed his arm from his brother's windpipe. "I don't know where the fucker went. Honest! He opened my cell, askin' me all these damned questions bout the governor. I answered some, but then he got all quiet, started yellin' about somethin'. I don't know man, first he's demandin' answers from me, next he is screamin' at the freakin' walls! He stormed off after that. I was just screwin' with ya'll."

"Ain't fucking funny!"

If Carol had not seen the way Rick had been staring at the walls, and how on edge he had been since Lori's death, she would have assumed Merle was lying. This did not cause her suspicion to lesson. "You're going back into the cell." Carol said with such authority, it surprised herself along with Daryl; he glanced at her with curiosity. "Don't know if he's lying or not and we can't risk anyone else going missing."

"You can't lock me up again, I am useless sittin' in a cell. Tell her Daryl – I can be of help."

Daryl's eyes went from Carol to Merle, an action that lasted moments longer than it should have; "Sorry bro, can't trust ya."

Pure shock pierced Merle's face before it fell to complete hatred. As he was shoved into the cell and locked away, many words flew from her mouth. Curses and threats that held no meaning and were soon easy to ignore. It was going to be hell explaining to the others what had happened to Rick since they didn't even know themselves. Maybe it was possible Rick wondered off; with the lack of sleep he had been getting, maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. There was still that fear, Merle had gotten the upper hand in a fight against Rick and done something. By the way he had been waiting for someone, he had plenty of time to get rid of evidence if he had done anything.

Daryl was readying his crossbow, and heading to the cell block door the next time Carol turned to him. Judith was finally sleeping, Carol hoped her father would be back before she woke up again. With quick footing, Carol rushed down the steps to meet up with Daryl, she didn't even have to speak for him to know her worry. "I gotta find him."

"You can't go wondering alone; what if something happens to you?"

"Ain't nothin' gunna happen to me." This did not bring any reassurance to Carol. If something horrible had happened to Rick, the group could not risk losing Daryl as well.

"Let me go with you,"

Daryl shook his head furiously back and forth, "You need to be here." Again, he was heading to the door, ready to face whatever hell was lurking in the rest of the prison.

Carol was right behind him, on his heel; "Damn it women!" He cursed, "I ain't taken you with me. I'd do better on my own anyway; only have to worry bout my ass and no one else's."

As much as Carol hated it, and wanted to fight it to the bone, she knew he was right. Carol would only slow him down, and, someone needed to be here to explain the situation to the rest of them. As she nodded her head; Carol made it clear she was displeased with this plan. "I'll be back in a little bit." His eyes met hers, and for a moment, there was silence between them. Daryl didn't make a move for the door, and Carol was locked in place by the force of his eyes. Before he withdrew them, Carol noticed his jaw tighten, he lingered a bit longer like he wanted to add more, but didn't.

Carol watched in fear as Daryl vanished into the dark depths of the prison, full of walkers – and who knows what else. A silent pray was whispered in her mind that both Rick and Daryl returned alive.


	6. Chapter Six

**Untrustworthy**

**Chapter Six**

The empty prison halls reeked of blood, rotten bodies, and, most of all Death. Daryl Dixon offend caught himself holding his breath to keep from inhaling the retched smell. His crossbow never left eye level, with ever turn and twist, Daryl's caution increased. He didn't even call out Rick's name, just in case there were walkers waiting around the corner for a fresh meal. The deeper he traveled into the prison, the more his worry grew. He never expressed a hint of it, but he knew, if Rick was bat-shit crazy like Merle had implied, he would not last long.

Thinking of his brother and his story, made Daryl doubt, he never wanted to think his brother would screw things up this fast; but his dislike of Rick was not hidden at all; in fact, he was out in plain sight for everyone to be aware of. Merle had talked about his hatred for Rick as they were making their way back; each word that spewed from Merle's mouth was another reason to turn back and pretend he made a mistaken. The thought of leaving everyone behind felt like a knight twisting in his gut.

Turning another corner, Daryl stopped, seeing a figure standing in the corner, instantly he knew it was not Rick. As he took another step forward, the creature stirred, slowly turning around to reveal a half-eaten face. Its lips were gone all together, showing off bare, red colored teeth. It limped over to Daryl, arms stretched out, and groans escaping its decaying throat with every step. The arrow shot though it's skull in a matter of seconds, and then it was on the ground, dead for a second time. Quickly, Daryl made his way over to it.

The red color of its teeth made his think the worst – a habit he had been doing lately and hated himself for. But, as Daryl ran a finger over the teeth to see if the blood was fresh, he was welcomed with the reassurance of dried blood.

Again, he was making his way thought the prison, he didn't want to return empty handed, but the sky was darkening, and without light, Daryl was not going to be able to keep searching through the night. This angered him more; Rick was dealing with some heavy shit, Daryl could not even imagine what it was like to lose someone as close to him as Lori was to Rick. Although they had been having a hard time since Rick had killed Shane, there was no doubt they had still loved each other.

Rick had offend come muttering to Daryl, venting about his thoughts. It was about anything, Carl, Lori, the group; a few times it was even the strong guilt he held for his former friend Shane. Whatever it was, Daryl said nothing, just listened to the man who had become his friend, allowed him to let it out. Afterwards, when Rick had calmed down, stormed away from Daryl, the two of them would make eye contact, holding it for a moment longer than most people. Rick would nod and silent _thank you_ while Daryl would return with a nod telling him _you're welcome_.

How had Daryl come to this? He had always been this… soft?

"_Shit!"_ The voice startled Daryl from his thoughts. Quietly but quickly, Daryl rounded another corner. He raised his crossbow the moment he saw it was not who he hoped it was that said the curse. Standing around a dying woman was a group of people he had never seen before. None of them had seen him; all in of them stared down worry at the women on the ground. A young boy was kneeling beside her, tears falling from his face.

Right away, Daryl knew she was bit. He made no move, just watched, wounding how the hell they got into the prison. And if they got in, what else had gotten in? Daryl twisted his feet, wanting to make a more desperate attempt at finding Rick; but stopped the moment the large black man of the group spotted him.

"Oh my god!" The voice matched who he had heard only moments before. "Help us, please!"

Daryl didn't move.

It was only then they seemed to notice the deadly weapon laced in his hands. There crying boy paid no attention, but the other three did. The man who had spoken raised his hands shaking his head. "We don't mean no harm, honest. We just want help, she's dying."

"She's bit."

"Yes but - "

"No buts," He was fully aware of his harsh tone, but Daryl didn't like strangers. "She's bit; there is nothin' you can do."

This was when the younger boy looked up, his eyes full of tears and rage. "There has to be something!" He yelled, causing Daryl to step closer, raising his crossbow an inch lower to aim at his head. It was a reaction, but everyone took a step closer with him to block his shot. "Whoa man,"

"Ya'll need to stay quiet unless you wanna become a walker meal." Daryl did not have time for this, nor did he want to deal with all of this. He wanted to find Rick, but his time was out, the sun was setting, and he needed to be heading back. Now that he had company, things were more complicated. Impatient, Daryl lowered the bow, "Ya wanna survive? Follow me; take care of your bitten…" then he added, "After, we gotta hurry."

They're faces returned to him in shock; he didn't understand how they didn't get this world. It had been over a year now, where they just getting the memo that is was a zombie outbreak?

The large man nodded, obviously the leader of the group, "Okay,"

Daryl nodded his head, turned around to exit the way he came, a moment passed before a gunshot echoed around them, the ringing lasting in his ears long after. "Come on!" He called out, moving his feet like a dance as he remembered the way back to the cell block. They followed behind him clumsily, trying to keep up and get the boy who had been sobbing moving. Many times Daryl had to yell for them to hurry up; he could hear the walkers stirring.

A few times they were surprised by the damn things popping out of the freaking wall. It was a good thing Daryl was quick.

When they entered the area right before the cellblock he turned to them, stopping them in their tracks. "Stay here" was all he said before he was banging on the bars for Carl to let him in. Instantly, the boy searched for his father. Carol must have told him what happened. A flicker of guilt washed over Daryl.

"My – my dad?" All he could do was shake his head.

"Tomorrow"

The new group called out to him; Daryl ignored them – he was in no mood.

"You didn't find him." Carol sighed when he walked into the cell to tell her. "We never should have left him along, he knew something was up, but I never thought it was this bad."

"So, ya believe my brother?" Her bright eyes met his, holding the stare longer than Daryl would have liked. He shifted uncomfortable.

"I don't know what I believe; I think I want to believe him because I think, if Merle did do something to Rick, it's a lot worse." Her shoulders fell in an up and down motion; her head was bowed, "I don't wanna lose another person Daryl, I don't think I can handle that." Hesitantly, Daryl set his crossbow down and moved so he was sitting beside her on the bed.

"I'm goin' to find him. He's gunna be just fine."

As the words left his mouth, a hard realization hit him; he had said the same words to Carol when they were out searching for Sophia. Now he wanted to take them back, grab them from the air and shove them back down his throat before they reached Carol's ears. He had made a promise that he'd find Sophia and he failed, he didn't want to do it again with Rick. All the feelings, the guilt he was harboring for Sophia doubled with the thought of Rick suffering the same fate because of _him_.

"I know you will," Carol motioned to grab his hand, hesitated for a moment before finally making contact. Stiffening a bit, Daryl stared down at the floor, but did not pull away. He was not used to being comforted, and if it were anyone else but Carol he would recoil, but her hands were soft, and her touch gentle.

"I found some people," Daryl muttered finally, he hesitantly removed his hands from hers, instantly feeling the cold chill where her hands had been. "Don't know how they got in, one of 'em was bit. I brought them to the area just outside the cellblock. Didn't know what else to do."

"Let's just hope they're good people." By the way Carol was staring at her hands, and the soft tone of her voice, Daryl knew how much Rick's unknown whereabouts was eating her up. She acted almost the same way then Sophia was missing; only then she shed a lot more tears. There has been a lot of tough shit Carol has had to go through – and it was far from over. Daryl admired her strength. He knew hell was going to be upon them soon, everyone needed Rick – and Daryl was going to find him.

"I want to give you something," Carol stood up and quickly pulled out the knife she kept tucked behind her back to hand it to him.

"No." Daryl stood up a moment later, shaking his head.

"Come on, I know you don't need it, but it will make me feel better knowing you have it."

Giving her an odd look, Daryl reluctantly took the knife from her and strapped it tight into his pocket.

The next day, Daryl woke up the moment dawn broke, he was not going to waste any of the daylight, Rick needed to be found and brought back to sanity as soon as possible. Daryl secretly feared, if he waited too long, Rick would be lost. He had told Carl his plan; the kid had been as pale as a ghost as Daryl discussed his plans. It had been only about a week since Lori's death; this kid was not losing his father anytime soon. Carl was a strong kid; everyone could see him fighting through everything he was feeling, proving to the group, that no one could be kid any longer.

It was surprising when Carl shuffled out of his cell, his eyes groggy with large bags under them, and helped Daryl lock the door behind him.

The group that was outside the cellblock all thought he was there to talk to him. Daryl remembered Hershel saying something about how the oldest man's name was Tyresse, he tried approaching Daryl but the redneck only shook his head. He also remembers Hershel mentioning he told the group as little as possible about Rick and the situation they were in.

The moment Daryl stepped into the depths of the prison, the sounds echoing around him. Either from each step he tried to quiet or dripping water leaking from an unknown source. The thing that irritated him the most was, he had no idea where Rick would have gone. "Rick" he called out finally, figuring the only way he was ever going to find the bastard was to call out his name.

Nothing moved or made a noise, not even a walker.

Each step he took was with care, it was nearly a struggle sometimes with all the dead bodies on the ground, many in massive piles he tried his best to step over. Along with those, there was the goop and guts of the walkers (or humans) which Daryl tried avoiding more. He would call Rick's name ever once in a while, his own voice echoing back at him off the prison walls. Each time he never got even a groan as a response worried him a bit more.

_Clunk! _The sound came from behind him, quick to turn; Daryl pointed his arrow in that direction. _Clunk! _He saw the slightest movement of a locker door. His mind flashed from when he found Carol, she had run into one to hide from the walkers after her, only to be locked inside. It was not out of the question for Rick to have done the same thing. If Carol and Merle were right, and there was something up with Rick – who knew what he would do?

Cautiously, he approached the locker, fully aware he could be wrong. "Rick!?" He called out louder than any time before. "Ya in there?" _Clunk!_

With one hard look at the shaking door, Daryl swung it wide open. The moment the door was unlatched, the walkers were already pushing their way though. "Shit!" Daryl was on the ground, his crossbow the only thing keeping the walkers from being completely on top of him. There were also so many that getting to his crossbow was nearly impossible and Daryl had anything but time.

Yanking his hand from underneath the walkers and his crossbow, ripping a bit of skin in the process, Daryl carefully slid his hand down to his waist, feeling for Carol's knife he had tucked away. Meanwhile, the walkers snarled, groaned and hissed, all trying to get a bit of his flesh. The moment his hands clasped around the rough edge of the handle, it was up in the air, plunging into the skull of the walker snapping at his face, less than an inch from his nose. It stopped, mouth wide open, and stayed motionless.

He then reached his arm up, ignoring as he shoved the knife into the creatures mouth and pulled out his hand, spraying himself with the blood. There were too many of them, the locker he opened seemed to be never ending. _This ain't the end. Get your shit together! _But even as he thought the words, he knew they are lies. He was out numbered and out gunned with his crossbow pressed painfully into his chest and stomach. This did not stop him from killing ever fucking walker he was able to reach with his arm. But with ever walker that dropped, it caused a block for his arm to reach.

He felt the blood racing down his hand from scrapping it on his crossbow making the walkers even more aggressive.

_Boom_!

The sound of a gunshot rang in his ear as one of the walkers, just about to bite into his shoulder dropped its head, blood dripping from the bullet wound. Two more sounds, and the others were dropping. Soon enough, he was able to struggle and get loose of all the living and dead corpses that had piled on top of him. His eyes searched for the gunmen, and for a moment, Daryl saw nothing but the rotting walls of the prison.

"You alright?" Rick's voice sounded week, painful. When Daryl's eyes found the former sheriff, it was not a welcome sight. His shirt was ripped to shreds, only a bit of cloth now hanged from his body. His face and hands were dripping with blood, both old and fresh. He didn't look like the Rick Daryl had come to know, and respect. His eyes held a strange look inside them that was new; frightening. Rick Grimes said nothing as he stared at Daryl, his eyes were on him, but Daryl felt like Rick was not really seeing him.

Daryl gathered the crossbow, slung it over his back before bending down to pick up Carol's knife that had fallen from his hand.

Wordlessly, Daryl brushed off the rest of the walker-goop and strolled over to Rick. Rick watched him but spoke no words. Daryl awkwardly whipped off the blood from his arms, checking to see if he was bit – there was not a scratch on him, all the blood was something else's.

"Come on, we gotta get back to the cellblock – you scared everyone shitless." Rick yanked his arm away when Daryl tried to pull him away from the pile of corpses.

"I – I can't go back,"

"What you talking about? I came out here to find ya, and I did. Everyone is thinkin' you're dead. We have this shit with the Governor, we need you."

"And C-Carl?" Now, the former sheriff's eyes didn't care meet Daryl's.

"He's worried sick. He's a strong kid – but he needs ya."

But, Rick shook head, "I – I can't. Not until I figure out everything." Taking a deep breath, Rick ran a bloody hand though his hair, seeing this brought Daryl's eyes back to his own bleeding hand. Lucky it was not anything serious. Just another scar to match all the others. "I'm dangerous; I can't be around people; not now. I have to be alone."

"What happens if ya die out there and no one knows about it? We can lock you up if you're really that scared man." Daryl was going to get Rick back to the group if he had to drag him by his hair. No one else was going to be lost within the walls of this prison. They've already lost Lori and T-dog; they were not going to lose Rick too. Not when he had a kid and a baby that needed him more than they needed anyone else. "You ain't wondering the prison by yourself." Daryl finally said harshly.

Rick stared down at his blood stained hands. Since he did not move or protest, Daryl adjusted his crossbow with his better hand and pulled Rick along. The whole time, the man kept muttering, saying he was too dangerous, he was going to harm someone, and that Daryl didn't understand. No, he didn't, but at the moment, he didn't care.

As soon as Daryl entered the rising light of day, the new group swarmed him like bees, asking if he needed help and if Rick was bitten. Daryl roughly told them to, "Back the fuck off" and Carl was throwing open the door in a hurry for Daryl.

With a bit of help from Rick, Daryl convinced them to lock Rick into a cell, no one liked it, not even Daryl, but if that was what kept the man where he belonged, it was worth it.

After everything was settled down, Daryl wanted nothing more than to fall into a bed and pass out – sadly, that was not an option for him.

"You were right," Daryl said, a tad smile tugging on his lips as he approached Carol, "I did need your knife."


End file.
